The following article is reprinted courtesy of the Hamilton Spectator, McMaster University’s partner in the Science in the City Lecture Series.
They were discovered more than half a century ago, half a world away.
But interest in the Dead Sea Scrolls continues to increase to this day.
Hamiltonians have an opportunity to learn more about the Dead Sea Scrolls -- some 900 documents, including texts from the Hebrew Bible -- and what they tell us about early Judaism and Christianity.
It happens tonight, when two McMaster faculty members, Eileen Schuller and Daniel Machiela, present their lecture, What Are We Learning from the Dead Sea Scrolls Today?, at The Hamilton Spectator Auditorium, as part of the Science in the City lecture series. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the lecture begins at 7 p.m.
The scrolls were discovered between 1947 and 1956 in 11 caves near Qumran, an ancient settlement on the western shore of the Dead Sea in Israel.
Portions of the scrolls were recently on display at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto and judging from the lineups, Machiela said the interest in what has been described as "the greatest manuscript discovery of modern times" continues to increase.
Machiela, an assistant professor of religious studies, said recent exhibits of the scrolls at the ROM and similar ones in Milwaukee, Wis., and St. Paul, Minn., have set attendance records.
Machiela said interest in the Dead Sea Scrolls has remained strong over the past two decades, and it's hard to say why people are still so fascinated.
"I think there is just broadly a fascination with history and archeology and I think this really ties into it," he said. "I think it was one of the most publicized archeological discoveries maybe ever of the modern period."
Machiela adds the Dead Sea Scrolls attract interest because of their religious significance, because they include the oldest copies of biblical manuscripts.
"For Christians and Jews especially, these manuscripts are of huge significance in terms of the Bible," he said.
"I think it is one of those areas right now that are hot."
Science in the City is a partnership between The Spectator and McMaster University. The lecture is free but to reserve a seat, e-mail sciencecity@mcmaster.ca or phone 905-525-9140, ext. 24934.
905-526-3388
